Mop and wringer therefor



'Sept. '16, 1958 T. F. LEACH MOP AND WRINGER THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 8, 1954 T. F. LEACH MOP AND WRINGER THEREFOR Sept. 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1954 IIIIIII'III/lllllf JKVGIZZW I jam: g L eac United States Patent "ice 2,851,710 MOP 'AND WRINGER'THEREFOR Thomas F. Leach, Chicago, Ill. AppIicatiOn-SeptemberB,1954,5erial No. 4545729 i 3 Claims; (CI. 15 -1) The present invention relates to a wringing attachment-for mops and-is particularly concerned with mops employing pads made of sponge--01 other suitable'resilient absorbent material.

As is well known, practically all cleaning-operations involving the use of a moprequirethat -the mopf be wrung dry at frequent intervals.- The provision' of adequate wringing means has proven to be a-rather perplex-' ing problem and this is particularly true' iri-thecase of sponge mops.

. Accordingly, it-is among theprincipalobjects of the presentinvention to provide a'mop and-wringing attach ment that reduces the wringingeffort required-by 'providing a high mechanical advantage; that utilizes the -mop handle in providing; this high mechanical advantage 8 and thereby eliminates bendingovenduringthe wringing op'- eration; that permits an-accurate, finger tip control=over the-wringing operation so that anyxdesired' degree of dampness: may be easily selected; that cooperateswith anytype receptacle and eliminates s'plashingtanddrippingjl andithat is economical to fabricate and assembled Otherobjects and advantages of the invention -will be apparent during-the course of the following description;

In the accompanying drawingsforming 'a 'part of this specification and in which like numerals areerriploy'edto designate: like parts throughout the-same,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation'al vi'ew illustrating the' manner of utilizing a mop and wringingatta'ehment "-in accordance with the present invention-p Fig. -2 is a' plan view of-th'e i apparatus of Figi- 1;

Fig. 3- is an-elevational sectional view 'taken fright ahgles-tothe-view of -Figt l and'otriit'tingthemom- Fig. 4'illustrates the manneri of using the'inopof the present invention;

Fig; 5 isa detailed perspective view"of th wlinging attachment;

Fig. 6is a detailed perspective view' of'the sponge pad, sponge plate, I and mounting bracketwith-portions in sec tion and'broken away';

Fig." 7 is'a sectional view-of a sponge' p'ad; sponge" plate, and mounting-bracket of a modified 'form of the" present invention;-

Fig; 8. is a front sectional E exploded" view taken" along the line 88 of Fig. 7; and

Figi 9- is a perspective view" of amodifiedwringing. attachment:

It' -shohld be understood that the""descriptio'n'*of the preferredform of theinvention'is tenurepii'tpos'emf coiriplying'with' Section "112," Title 35 bfth e'U. S." Cod; and that the a pended claimsshould "be cons'trued"as"' broadly as the prior art'will permit. 7

Briefly, the-present invention provid'es a novel mop and wringing Y attachment which per'mits thernop to' be squeezed dry more easily Y thanhas*heretofore been possible. This is"accoinp'lished by means- 0f 1 a wringing attachment which: consists: of ar -perforated plate having" mounting t means on the: baekside thereof 'to-' per'r'nit 'it to 5 the knob Iii-and opening 24 fronr'causing'the parts to be 0 obtained b'y' providi g the bracket 12 with a projecting" assume Patented Sept. 16', 1958 pivotal enga'gernent with" the wringingattachrnent 12 which is mounted-on the wall 14" of a suitable container .16. This pivotal engagement is produced bythe coopera tionof a knob 18 formedintegrally with ast'e'rn 20 that projects from the mop,-with an upwardlyfi'ared'slot 22 provided on the attachment 12. As is best} shown in Figureithe fiared slot 22 merges with'a keyhole-sliaped ope'ning24 and thearrangement is such that the b'ott'orn of the slot acts as a neck portion of the keyhole opening 24: In-positioning the mop relative to the w'ringingattachment, the edges of the flared slot engage 'and' guide the stem 20 into' its' seated position in the opening 24, and the knob 18 is madelarger" than" the opening 24 whereby themop 10 and-plate12' are prevented from moving relative to each'other' axially of the opening 24. Prefe'rablythe'portiori of the knob adjacent the stem 20 is smoothly curved tofacilitate the pivotalmovement,

though the dev'iceis also effective "whether the" knob be a: hook-Lia button, or any type of flaringsurface. It'should benoted that theneck portion -26 for'me'd by the bottom of the flared slot 22- preverits the pivoting action between come disengaged.

It is within' the sco eof the'presentiinvention to re-' verse thc' r'elative positionsof the knob 18 and theco-' operatingslots since the" pivotal action could also be k-n'oband by 'pr'ovidingthe mop with a slottedflan'g'e'.

The wringing attachment as shown in'Figure 5 consists of a 'p'late 28', a forwardly ofiset vertical pad 30 connected to the' plate by a" horizontal section 32, and a' pair of a'n'g'tilai'ly rearwardly projecting hooks 34' secured Z to the The plate "28" conforms rear 'siiiface of the plate 28. generally tothe shape of the sponge pad and is provided with a plurality of perforations 36*to'pr'ovide' avenues of -'es'cape "for" the squeezed-out liquid'as will be explained her'eai'iteri In the preferred embodiment, this plate is substantially"rectangular to matchthe' sponge'pad which isalso' substantially rectangular. The hooks '34 have dowh'wardlyturnedends 38 that ar'einclined at an angle and"6'and" consists of a pad-40 preferably made of spongjthough'any'; other'resilient and absorbent mate-' rial would be suitable, a rigid plate 42, and a mounting br'acket'"45. The sponge pad 40 is shown as a rectangulafblockjandis firmly glued to the plate 42, the glueprefei'ably being applied over'the entire area of contact between'thespongeand the plate. In addition, the plate is piovid'ed witha continuous depending peripheral flange 43"that"forins aseatin'g Well in which the sponge is positioned. The flange43 and the adjacent peripheral-par tioiisof"the"plate"42 are" preferably cushioned by a strip 3 44 of resilient material such as rubber, or the like, and this cushioning strip protects articles in the region being mopped from becoming scarred or otherwise damaged by the rigid plate 42.

A pair of screws 46 are anchored to the plate 42 by any suitable means and project outwardly thereof to engage suitable openings provided in the mounting bracket 45. The mounting bracket is preferably formed of steel, cast iron or aluminum and has a threaded socket 48 at its upper end that merges with and is angularly directed relative to a substantially fiat terminal pad 50.

The mounting bracket is preferably shaped substantially as shown in Figure 6, though in order to reduce costs it may be made from a single tube having one end threaded to correspond to the socket 48 and having the other end pounded flat and provided with a pair of spaced openings to receive the screws 46 of the sponge plate. Such a pipe may be bent until the two ends are in proper angular relationship.

The sponge pad assembly is completed by a pair of washers 52 which space the pad 50 from the plate 42, and a pair of nuts 54 that engage the screws 46 and secure the parts in assembled relationship. A relatively long handle 56 is threaded at its lower end and is adapted to engage the threaded socket 48 of the mounting bracket. The handle 56 is preferably made of wood, though it may also be formed of metal.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, when the mop is engaged in the wringing attachment by seating the stem 20 projecting from the mounting bracket 48 in the opening 24 with the knob 18 engaging the adjacent portions of the pad 30, downward pressure may then be applied to the upper end of the handle 56 to bring the sponge pad 40 into engagement with the perforated plate 28. The arrangement of the parts is such that the upper portion of the sponge pad 40, as viewed in Figure l, first contacts the plate 28 with the lower portions successively being compressed as the pivotal motion is completed. Because of this progressive downward squeezing of the pad, 3. more effective squeezing action is obtained, as the squeezing pressure is concentrated on successive portions of the pad rather than being spread over the entire area of the pad. In addition, the perforations 36 in the plate 28 permit the exuded liquid to escape from the opposite face of the plate.

In Figure 4 the mop is shown in its in-use position, and it should be noted that the knob 18 that projects from the mounting bracket 45 is spaced a substantial distance above the lower surface of the sponge pad 40 so that there is no danger of the knob marring the floor being waxed or scrubbed.

In Figures 7 and 8 a modified arrangement for mounting the sponge pad on the mounting bracket is shown. In this modified arrangement provision is made for replacing the sponge pad. Accordingly, the sponge pad 40 is glued to a substantially rigid plate 60 in the same manner as previously described. The plate 60 is provided with a pair of upwardly projecting studs 62 that are rigidly secured thereto in any suitable manner. As shown, a pair of countersunk screws are used to form the studs 62.

In this embodiment the plate 60 is adapted to seat within the well formed in the rigid plate 42, the only difference being that instead of securing the sponge directly to the plate 42 the sponge may be mounted on the plate 60 which is then adapted to be removably secured to the plate 42. In order to accomplish this the plate 42 is formed with a pair of holes 64 to receive the studs 62, and a pair of wing nuts 66 engage the studs and lock the sponge units in position. Thus, Figures 7 and 8 illustrate an arrangement wherein replaceable sponge units of relatively inexpensive design may be employed with the mounting bracket to permit simple and low cost replacement of the sponge pad.

In Figure 9, a modified form of wringing attachment is shown wherein the mounting means is extended to provide a foot pad. In this form, the wringing plate 28 and fulcrum arrangement 30, 32 need not be changed, but the mounting means consists of a horizontal portion 70 adapted to rest upon the edge of the wall 14 of the receptacle, a vertical portion 72 adapted to engage the wall 14, and a horizontal foot pad portion 74 adapted to rest on the floor. The portion 70 is provided with a depending arm 76 that engages the inside surface of the wall 14 and the portions 70, 76 and 72 serve to securely mount the wringer attachment, while the portion 74 provides a balancing arrangement by which any tendency of the ,wringing operation to tip over the receptacle may be easily overcome. It should be noted that in most operations, and with most types of receptacles, the interplay of forces is not sufficient to tip over the receptacle. However, for the instances in which there is a tendency to tip, the foot pad 74 is an important safety measure.

Thus, it may be seen that the objects of the present invention have been accomplished in that the pivoted wringer arrangement utilizes the mop handle to provide a high mechanical advantage that permits finger-tip control of the wringing operation. In addition, the pivoting action is such that sucessive portions of the sponge pad are subjected to the wringing pressures, thereby considerably reducing the necessary wringing force.

I claim:

1. In a mop-wringing mechanism that includes a mop having a rigid support member, a mophead carried by said member therebeneath, and a handle in rigid connection with said member and extending angularly upwardly from adjacent one edge thereof, and a rigid wringing member separate from said mop and cooperating therewith to compress said mophead; first and second interengaging fulcrum means rigid respectively with said mop and said wringing member and cooperating in compressing sai-d mophead between said members, said first fulcrum means including a stem having an enlarged free end projecting downwardly from said mop to a point outwardly of but adjacent to said edge, and said second fulcrum means comprising a plate portion carried adjacent one edge of said wringing member and having a slot formed therein for receiving and confining said stem in relative pivotal engagement.

2. In combination, a mop having a rigid support member, a mophead carried by said member therebeneath, and a handle in rigid connection with said member and extending angularly upwardly from adjacent one edge thereof, and a rigid wringing member separate from said mop and cooperating therewith to compress said mophead; first and second interengaging fulcrum means rigid respectively with said mop and said wringing member and cooperating in compressing said mophead between said members, said first fulcrum means projecting downwardly from said mop to a point outwardly of but adjacent to said edge, and said second fulcrum means being adjacent one edge of said wringing member, one of said fulcrum means including a stem having an enlarged free end and the other of said fulcrum means including a plate having a slot formed therein for receiving and confining said stem in relative pivotal engagement.

3. In combination, a container having an open top bounded by side walls, a rigid wringing member having mounting means engageable on a wall of said container to support said member within said container, said mounting means including a footpad portion extended to the bottom of said container on the outside thereof; a mop having a rigid support member, a mophead carried by said support member therebeneath, and a handle in rigid connection with said support member and extending angularly upwardly from adjacent one edge thereof; and first and second interengaging fulcrum means rigid respectively with said mop and said wringing member and cooperating in compressing said mophead between said members, said first fulcrum means projecting downwardly from said mop to a point outwardly of but adjacent to said edge, and said second fulcrum means being adjacent one edge of said wringing member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Fouke May 15, 1946 Dalton Sept. 14, 1948 Oakhill Feb. 1, 1949 Wolfer Dec. 4, 1951 Vidal Aug. 11, 1953 Richards et a1 Dec. 22, 1953 Debler Dec. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 17, 1924 Great Britain Jan. 31, 1928 France Aug. 13, 1952 Canada Nov. 18, 1952 

